Air Canada was recognized with a Five Star Global Airline Award at the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) 2024 Awards Ceremony held Wednesday night in Long Beach, California.
This marks the fifth time in six years the airline has been awarded an APEX Five Star rating which is based on customer feedback.
“On behalf of the more than 36,000 employees at Air Canada, we thank our customers and APEX for recognizing us with a Five Star Global Airline award,” said Mark Nasr, Air Canada’s Executive Vice President, Marketing & Digital and President of Aeroplan. “We have made significant investments in our digital, lounge and in-flight products and services, and we are delighted to welcome our customers onboard with an elevated level of comfort and convenience as they connect with families and friends, explore new cultures or continue to build businesses across Canada and our global network,”
The APEX Five Star and Four Star Airline Awards, formerly APEX Official Airline Ratings, were created based on neutral, third-party passenger feedback and insights gathered through APEX’s partnership with TripIt® from Concur®, the world’s highest-rated travel-organizing app.
Air Canada customer on board a flight.
For the 2024 Awards, nearly one million flights were rated by passengers across more than 600 airlines from around the world using a five-star scale. The APEX Five Star and Four Star Airline Awards are independently certified by a professional external auditing company.-
Air Canada officials said their 2024 APEX Five Star Award is the latest in a series of awards received by the airline “for its industry-leading products and services this year,” which include:
- Best Airline in Canada from Skytrax World Airline Awards
- Best Airline Staff in Canada from Skytrax World Airline Awards
- Best Low-Cost Airline in Canada (Air Canada Rouge) from Skytrax World Airline Awards
- Favorite Airline in North America (Fifth Consecutive Year) from the Trazee Awards
- Best Airline for Onboard Entertainment for the fifth consecutive year from Global Traveler
- Passenger Choice Award for Best Entertainment in North America from the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX)
- Airline Program of the Year, Best Promotion and Best Redemption Ability for Air Canada’s Aeroplan loyalty program from the Freddie Awards
ISRAEL IN FALL: FAB FESTIVALS AND MORE
Fall is a very festive and important time of year in Israel. While in North America, the season tends to conjure up images of cornucopias overflowing with apples, gourds and pumpkins, in Israel you’re more likely to be offered locally grown pomegranates and honey with wishes for a happy and sweet new year.
At this time of year, Jews gather to celebrate a number of holidays in all different sorts of ways and no matter how they celebrate—whether it’s going to synagogue or going to the beach—it’s a festive time for family and friends to get together.
Robert Bye/Unsplash Photo
- The sound of live music will punctuate the Negev Desert near the Dead Sea (little-known fact: it’s actually a lake) during the Tamar Festival (tamar means date), a four-day event beginning Oct. 2 that celebrates Sukkot, one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals.
- Simchat Torah, which signifies the completion of the annual cycle of the Torah readings, immediately follows Sukkot on October 7 and continues through October 8. Joyous in nature, the holiday is filled with dancing and singing as well as parading the Torah scrolls throughout synagogues. Many communities hold their own festive celebration to express their love and respect for the Torah study.
- Thousands of people from around the world will descend on Jerusalem for the Jerusalem March on October 4. This event brings together a diverse group of cultures, faiths and nations who walk through the streets of Jerusalem to promote a message of peace, understanding and friendship with participants often clad in traditional clothing that represents their country and waiving their nation’s flag. The day includes concerts and entertainment as well.
- The Olive Harvest Festival coincides with the annual harvest with participants taking part in olive picking and learning more about traditional olive oil production. The festival attracts locals and tourists interested in experiencing traditional agricultural practices while learning about sustainable farming methods through workshops.
- InDnegev, now in its 11th year, has become the Coachella of the Middle East. Taking place October 12-14, this annual music festival features independent artists, arts and culture and is known for its eclectic music lineup, laid-back atmosphere and celebration of creativity. The lineup features both established and emerging Israeli artists along with international performers. Many festival-goers camp on-site, creating a communal vibe that is family-friendly with designated areas and activities specifically for children.
EXPEDIA UNVEILS NEW TRAVEL TOOLS
Young people travel. Daria Mamont/Unsplash Photo
Discovering new places and ways to plan:
- Trip Planner: Looking to plan a big trip with friends? For the very first time, travellers now have one place to collaborate and engage with friends and family on a trip — one place to see both saved options and booked items across places to stay, flights, activities, and car rentals; and one place where invited friends and family can like, comment, save more ideas, and view what’s already been booked. Available on the Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo apps.
- Dynamic travel guides: Wondering about the best time to visit a specific destination? Dynamic travel guides provides insights into hotel prices, weather conditions, and crowd levels for the most visited cities in the world, all conveniently at hand in the app. Within the neighbourhood section of the guide, travellers can have a generative AI-powered conversation to help identify the ideal neighbourhood to stay, based on their interests. Available on the Expedia and Hotels.com apps.
- Amenity answers: Have questions about the pool or restaurant at a hotel? Amenity answers uses generative AI to sift through guest reviews to share their experience of the amenities at a hotel or vacation rental, meaning travellers don’t have to. Available on the Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo apps in English language only.
- Property answers: Is the Wi-Fi good in all rooms? Is parking free? Property answers uses generative AI to help travellers find out more about a specific property. Available on the Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo apps.
- Flexible date search for stays: Don’t have set dates to get away? Flexible date search gives travellers the ability to find the best options on places to stay by broadening their search by plus or minus a few days of potential dates, or by length of stay and time of year. Available on the Expedia, Hotels.com and Vrbo apps.
- Influencer travel stories: Want to go on a tried and tested adventure? Discover new destinations by watching influencer-created travel stories that will inspire the next dream trip. Available on the Expedia and Hotels.com apps in the U.S. only.
Experimenting with early products built with advanced tech:
- EG Labs: Calling all those excited about the next frontier of travel and tech. EG Labs is the travel industry’s first open space where U.S.-based early adopters can discover, test, and share feedback on cutting-edge beta products that will shape the future of travel.
- Project Explorer: The first beta product available to test in EG Labs is Project Explorer. Powered by generative AI, Project Explorer makes discovering new places and different types of trips easier through curated options based on interest, location, time of year and budget. In seconds, this product shares a list of recommended destinations, rich with information and images; where to stay with average prices, things to do; and a unique multi-day itinerary. Available to test on Expedia iOS app in the U.S. only.
Simplified self-service and account control:
- Voluntary flight change: Need to change a flight unexpectedly? Travellers can now change or cancel eligible flights themselves directly in the Expedia app. Available on the Expedia app in the U.S. only.
- Add to wallet: Want quick access to check-in details? Travellers can easily add their hotel booking information to Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. Available on the Expedia app.
- Anytime breakfast upgrades: Forgot to add breakfast? Travellers can now add breakfast to a hotel reservation when available, any time up to a day before check-in. Available on the Expedia and Hotels.com apps.
- Simplified account control: Introducing an easier way for Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo members to access and control their account across all our flagship brands in a seamless and more streamlined way. This feature makes viewing and managing valuable One Key benefits and OneKeyCash in one place. Available to One Key members in the U.S. only.
